Twisted Legacies
by ani
Summary: Duo did look for his family after the wars. After three years a strange letter arrives and now the street rat is the owner of Quatre's biggest business rival. But Stark Industries isn't everything. Shinigami cracks Tony's codes and finds the Iron Man suits. Now what's a Gundam pilot gonna do with a tech that fits his stealth master status? *Iron Man movieverse only*


AN: Iron Man is movie-verse only.

Standard Disclaimers and Multi-post Warnings Apply.

* * *

He still couldn't understand why, it'd been three years, there wasn't anything that had to have lawyers involved. Or at least nothing that he didn't cover up. Thrice. Taking a deep breath, Duo scratched the back of his head as he walked to the door. "Don't know why I'm doing this."

A voice popped up as he stepped in. "Welcome to Schuster, Shaynefeldt, and Lonetree. How can I help you today?"

He pulled out his overconfident smile as he walked to the surprisingly male receptionist. Dark blonde hair in a slightly shaggy cut - another surprise - almost hid deep green eyes that showed just how fake his personable smile really was. Taking in the missing suit coat, loose tie and files scattered behind the counter, he decided to cut the guy a break. "I got no idea, just this letter from the Shaynefeldt third for a three o'clock today." he pulled the folded envelope from his jacket.

He bit back the chuckle as the guy sighed in relief before he checked the letter. Turning to the computer, he typed and scrolled a few seconds before freezing. Duo jumped as the guy's mouth fell open before he turned to him, staring. The receptionist just as quickly turned back, stuttering and fumbling as he tried to work the com. "M-Mr. Shay-Shaynefeldt sir, your-your three o'clock is here."

An older burly voice laughed through the line, "Well send the boy on up! Tell him I'll meet him at the elevator."

The laughter at the stuttering got Duo relaxed enough to chuckle as he snagged the letter back. "I like the old fart already!" As he started towards the elevator, he called back. "Which floor?"

"Twelve, sir."

"Doh, so close," he mock pouted as he pushed the button. As soon as the doors shut the joker's mask slipped, "What the fuck? '_Sir_'? The whole Earth Sphere should know who the fuck I am, so why…" Duo just leaned against the wall, trying to piece it together as he watched the numbers change.

Eleven floors later, the doors opened to a guy almost as big as Rashid in a navy suit with a big smile beneath a bushy white mustache. Duo just smiled as he stepped out, "Hmm, linebacker for a third. Let me guess Schuster's the shorty with the gut and Lonetree's the freakish beanpole."

"So you _have_ been here before?" The large chest shook as he laughed, shaking his bald head, "I didn't think a sense of humor was genetic, but damn that smile sure is." Shaynefeldt stepped closer, put a meaty hand on Duo's shoulder as he held his other arm out, "Now come with me and I'll spill the deep dark secret."

Duo chuckled as they started into the second door, "If it's a throne somewhere I don't want it. King and ex-terrorist aren't exactly synonymous."

Shaynefeldt chuckled as he closed the door, motioned Duo to sit. "You know there's no royal blood in your veins Mr. Maxwell." The old man surprised him as he sat at his desk, suddenly all business. "It's not hard to believe that a former Gundam pilot couldn't hack the system to find their family. That's what I called you about, our business pertains to your patrilineal relatives."

Duo shrugged at the man's observation, but leaned forward at the end, "So what's this gotta do with that SOB?"

Shaynefeldt pulled a file from the right-hand drawer, "Nothing specific, it's much further down the line that's important. How many generations back did you go Mr. Maxwell?"

Duo's eyes narrowed as the lawyer started flipping through the pages. "Just three on the off chance someone was still alive. Why?"

"I'm surprised to say you're the only beneficiary of a rather large trust." Shaynefeldt stopped flipping and turned the file towards him. "If you'd gone five more generations you would have discovered that grandfather was the bastard son of Daniel Stark."

"Stark? As in Stark Industries?" He openly gawked now, snatching up the file. "One of the oldest companies there is, WEI's biggest rival, that makes the power generators for the colonies Stark Industries?" Duo slowed down as he flipped back to the first five pages, indigo eyes wide with shock. "You don't fuckin' mean…"

Shaynefeldt gave him a sympathetic smile. "I'm afraid I do. You, Duo Maxwell, are the last living descendant of Howard Stark. Every business, factory, colony and residence under the Stark name is now yours."

"Holy fuck…" Duo gasped out as he flopped back into the chair. "How…"

"A freak series of accidents and diseases. The last publicly known descendants were on the colony that was destroyed during the war." The lawyer stated, surprised at the slight huff Duo let loose.

Sitting up, Duo twisted to the side muttering, "Talk about sick irony…" Shaking it off with a goofy grin, he tried to return the folder. "So now what?"

Pushing the file back, the old man stood. "You'll have to go to the home office in Malibu California to do all the official paperwork. There's a private shuttle waiting at the spaceport whenever you're ready." Shaynefeldt started walking him out. "They'll be expecting you within the next week."

Both men were quiet as they waited for the elevator. Shock setting in, Duo's gaze started slipping lower, zigzagging down the doors to land on the papers in his hand. "Holy…" he gasped out, jumping slightly when Shaynefeldt put his hand on his shoulder. Duo turned to him. "What do I…"

The bristly mustache stretched slightly as Shaynefeldt smiled. "Go planetside. Find out what all this really means for you. It won't be as bad as you think." The _ping_ of the doors cut in. "From one war vet to another, the hardest part is remembering you can't kill them."

Duo couldn't help chuckling as he stepped into the elevator, smiling at Shaynefeldt while the doors closed.

[===============================================]

He was still in such a daze when he left that he didn't realize where he was until he asked the port manager where the Stark Industries shuttle was. After everything was verified Duo was escorted to the dock's private lounge and politely begged to stay there, that he didn't need to fly himself, the crew would be arriving shortly. Only half of it registered as he sat at a bar, absently accepting the coffee as he opened the folder again.

Shaynefeldt was right, only an idiot would think a Gundam pilot wouldn't find out about their family. _Well, I doubt Heero would,_ Duo corrected. It was a morbid curiosity at first, he just wanted to know if she really was the whore he always took her for. But once again, Duo Maxwell bucked the L2 odds - Momma made designer drugs. Not you're run-of-the-mill stuff either; the kind that took three hits to get hooked than six years to buck it. Pops was the black sheep of a minor L1 business mogul. He wanted a new date drug, used Momma as a test subject.

Needless to say it failed.

That alone should have made him stop, but Duo checked a few more generations. Momma's was the L2 basics: whores, rape and incest. The bastard turned in Momma so Grandpops wouldn't get blackmailed. "Prison baby, street rat, junior terrorist, now inter-sphere business tycoon." Duo muttered to himself before downing his coffee. "Talk about moving up." A devious grin crossed his face as he laughed. "I can't wait to see Quat's face."

"Mr. Maxwell?" a busty brunette stewardess stood at the far end of the bar. "We're ready for takeoff sir."

He slunk off the stool, smiling so suave that she blushed to her roots. "Please call me Duo, miss…"

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** fair warning, this was gonna be yaoi but after overexposure to really bad pairings and fics i just can't write/read it anymore. The initial draft did not have a romantic relationship because Duo's living up to the ultimate playboy legacy. Duo and Heero's relationship is going to be more like Tony and Rhody's - blood brothers and nothing more. Sorry if this turns you away.

just letting you know because this might be getting more soon.


End file.
